The fourth trial to rescue my daughters started on March 3, 2023. The first day lasted nearly eight hours; I testified for over half of it. It gave me my first opportunity to describe the effects of seven years of lies and emotional abuse by my daughters’ mother (hereafter referred to as Ms. Anderson).
While my testimony enlightened the Court as to the severe harm caused to my daughters, one witness gave damning testimony. Ms. Anderson’s father took the stand and shared that she alienated him from his grandchildren on two occasions. Both times she cut him off from his grandchildren for over a year. She also lied to the children about why they couldn’t see him.
During their first period of separation, I invited him to my home to see the girls and celebrate their birthdays. I encouraged him to find a way to reconcile his relationship with Ms. Anderson. He lives close to Ms. Anderson and plays a vital role in the girls’ lives. Once they reconciled, he saw the girls more frequently.
That changed when she learned he and I had a good relationship. A simple text message from him congratulating me on coaching the girls to a championship in their soccer league set her off. She cut him off from the children again. He has not seen the girls for sixteen months, the same time as me. Testifying in court put him in a challenging position as a father. He did not take it lightly and responded only when subpoenaed. To his credit, he provided an honest accounting of events from the past several years.
The second day of the trial will take place on March 31, 2023. Ms. Anderson will present her case. My expert witness will also testify.